Protein Industries Canada recently announced a new initiative in partnership with Roquette, Prairie Fava, BioNeutra, and Plant Up to advance plant-based food innovation and market diversification. The $24.5 million project seeks to enhance Canadian companies’ competitiveness by developing new ingredients and food products, improving process efficiencies, and exploring new market opportunities for co-products.
“This innovative project will contribute to more sustainable food ingredients and products”
The project will address several challenges currently faced by the plant-based industry, including increasing global competition and the demand for improved taste and ingredient functionality.
Focusing on pea and fava beans, the consortium will work on developing new fava-based ingredients and applications for pea starch and fibre, expanding product offerings and creating new market avenues for protein, starch, and fibre.
Government support
Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, spoke on the importance of maintaining Canada’s competitiveness in the global market. “We will continue to work with Protein Industries Canada to ensure Canadian ingredients remain competitive in both quality and cost.
“This innovative project will contribute to more sustainable food ingredients and products, strengthening the economy and further solidifying Canada’s leadership in plant protein manufacturing,” he stated.
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, noted, “Innovations in pea processing and new fava-based products will help establish more export markets and strengthen the competitiveness of our agricultural sector.”
Project focus areas
Protein Industries Canada will invest $10.7 million into the project, while the partnering companies will contribute $13.7 million. Roquette, the project lead, will focus on improving pea processing efficiency and developing new ingredients, such as its recently launched fava bean protein isolate. Prairie Fava, recognized for its leadership in the Canadian fava industry, will work on increasing fava bean acreage and optimizing dehulling technology.
Collaborative efforts
Plant Up will test fava protein and co-products in its products and develop a pea and fava-based alternative chicken whole-cut product, which the company claims is the first of its kind in North America. And finally, BioNeutra will focus on sourcing domestic starch from pea processing, aiming to reduce transportation costs and enhance operational efficiencies.
Throughout the project, Roquette will collaborate with various partners, including research institutions, to develop new technologies related to food-grade pea hull fibre, optimize operational processes for pea protein, and commercialize new pea protein technology.
Malkani announced on social media, “Participating in this project allows us to truly make a significant impact in the industry. At Plant Up, our mission has always been to make it easier for Canadians to incorporate more plant proteins in their diet, and being involved in such a substantial initiative brings us closer to our goal. To our consortium partners, Prairie Fava, Roquette, and BioNeutra North America, Inc., let’s make history!!”
